“A plank, when done correctly, focuses on the core while utilizing almost every muscle in the body,” Rumsey says. “This includes the rectus abdominis, the obliques, the transverse abdominis (the deepest level of your abs), the muscles that run along your spine, your glutes, thighs, hips, parts of your lower legs, your chest, and your back and shoulder muscles.” Working more muscles means not just seeing more toning but also more calorie burning. Score.
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Planks also tend to be better for the injury prone (unless you have a shoulder injury, in which case crunches are the safer bet). “Any exercise poses an injury risk but you are at a slightly greater risk in a crunch, since you are more likely to hurt your neck or lower back,” says Lauren Kleban, a personal trainer and creator of LEKfit. “My go-to for myself and all my clients is planks. There are so many variations that I fully believe you will see greater results in your entire core with a plank workout vs. a crunch workout.”
To keep your plank workout from getting boring, mix it up with the variations in this video:
Now, did somebody say six-pack?